| Palestinian National Authority |
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The President of the Palestinian National Authority (Arabic: رئيس السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية) is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to head of state) in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
The President appoints the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority from the Palestinian Legislative Council, with whom he shares power.
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The Arabic term Ra'ees or Ra'is (رئيس) can be translated to English as either "President" or "Chairman". As the status of Palestine as a political entity is controversial, the use of the term President to describe the leader of the Palestinian government is controversial to some, as its use may be seen to imply a recognition of state sovereignty. The use of the term "Chairman" is controversial for the opposite reason—its use may be seen to imply denial of Palestinian aspirations for statehood. [2]
The Arabic term was used in the English text of the 1995 Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,[1] part of the Oslo accords which established the PNA. In practice, when referring to the ra'ees in English documents and statements, the PNA uses the term "president", whereas Israel uses "chairman".
The United States, in its role as peace broker, uses several different terms according to context. News releases from its embassy in Israel refer to the PNA "chairman"; press briefings in Washington use "president"; both occasionally avoid the issue with "Palestinian leader". The international English-language press mostly (but not always) follows the Palestinian terminology. Israeli press refers to the leader variously as "ra'ees", "president", "chairman" or by name alone.
A letter delivered from Yasser Arafat to the then Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, as part of the Gaza-Jericho agreement stated that "When Chairman Arafat enters the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, he will use the title 'Chairman (Ra'ees in Arabic) of the Palestinian Authority' or 'Chairman of the PLO', and will not use the title 'President of Palestine.'"[2] There are some documents signed by Arafat as 'Chairman'.[3] The same term was used by Bill Clinton during 2000 Camp David Summit.[4]
The President is elected directly by the Palestinian people for a four year presidential term.
Before assuming the office, the President takes the following oath before the Legislative Council, and in the presence of the Speaker of the Palestinian National Council, the Chief of the Supreme Court:
The office of the President is considered vacant in any of the following cases:
If the office of the President of the National Authority becomes vacant due to any of the above cases, the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council assumes the powers and duties of the Presidency of the National Authority, temporarily for a period not exceeding sixty days, during which free and direct elections to choose a new president are required to take place in accordance with the Palestinian election laws.
| # | Name | Picture | Born-Died | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasser Arafat | 1929–2004 | 5 July 1994 | 11 November 2004[5] | Fatah | |
| (interim) | Rawhi Fattouh[6] | 1949- | 11 November 2004 | 15 January 2005 | Fatah | |
| 2 | Mahmoud Abbas[7] | 1935- | 15 January 2005 | Incumbent | Fatah | |
| (interim) | Aziz Duwaik[8] | c. 1950- | 15 January 2009 | Incumbent | Hamas |
Yasser Arafat was the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and became the Palestinian National Authority's first president when the governing body was created in 1994. His rule was validated by an election on January 20, 1996, but future elections were suspended. Arafat remained president until his death on 11 November 2004, at which point Palestinian house speaker Rauhi Fattouh assumed most of Arafat's duties and became interim president. However, he never formally assumed the title. New elections were held in January 2005, and won by Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas's term expired on 9 January 2009, creating a constitutional crisis. Abbas unilaterally extended his term by one year and is recognised as President by the government of Salam Fayad, which governs parts of the West Bank. Since then, however Aziz Duwaik, as the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, is recognised as acting President by the government of Ismail Haniyeh that governs the Gaza Strip.
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